Meet Elsa the Mountain Goat

Meet Elsa the Mountain Goat

Meet Elsa the Mountain Goat

1 minute read – 

Meet Elsa, the mountain goat! She came from Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers B.C located within The Witset First Nation is a First Nations band government of the Wet’suwet’en people of Witset, British Columbia, Canada. She was brought there in June, 2023 at about 1 week old.  She was brought to this wildlife shelter after she was swept down river – it’s not sure, the details, how or why, but she was orphaned and injured at that point when she was found by rangers working on the land.

She had several cuts and lacerations, she lost a few baby teeth. She was taken care of incredibly well by the staff and volunteers at the Northern Lights Wildlife Society. 

You can watch a few of these videos of her care and progress via their social media.

Elsa the queen of the North. Mountain goat rescue from BC wildlife Shelter. Elsa 1 week june 2023

By August, Elsa recovered fully from her injuries and complications that came after. Such challenges are bound to happen with wildlife, especially with an animal so young and under considerable stress and change. 

Elsa the mountain goat ice queen of the North 2 months old and recovered and eating well.

The little queen, Elsa continued to grow and by early winter she was ready for transport to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve for her long-term home. Since the goat was coming from another jurisdiction, in fact, one outside of the Yukon Territory, necessary coordination and import permits were required before her transport and arrival. With all the ‘red tape’ out of the way the Preserve now needed to consider how to get her to the Yukon, the quickest and safest way. Since the Wildlife Shelter is in Northern British Columbia, an Air North Transport was not an option, as it has been with other rehabilitation animals, though those animals were mostly headed South and back to the wild, not North and into long-term care. 

Elsa, the mountain goat, just a few days before her big move to the big leagues which means to the big cliff in the background with the nannies.

Community connections started this journey for Elsa and it continued through her successful transportation by an incredible offering as described below by Rebecca Bradford-Andrew, Manager, First Nation Education Advocates for Yukon First Nation Education Directorate. 

Wild orphaned Nanny goat Elsa from the remote mountains of Northen BC. transportation from her rescue facility to Whitehorse was provided by teenagers, a team of young wildlife enthusiasts from the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate (YFNED) ( a Jordan’s Principle-funded Initiative).

These local teens work to build community and culture by supporting indigenous students in Yukon schools. They strive to be role models for youth by doing good deeds and stepping in where needed. Thank you Dr.Hallock and your team for including us in this wonderful opportunity to collaborate for our community!

The YFNED, an indigenous-led educational organization, supports traditional, land-based learning opportunities.

The YWP has been educating people for years, and Yukon students have much to learn about eco-systems, evolution, and herd dynamics, with a strong, healthy mountain goat population their textbooks, and the beautiful cliffs of the YWP their classroom.

Edone daga eti’e (For the good of the child).

Elsa arrived December 12, 2023 to the Wildlife Rehabiliation Centre where for the next 30 days would be in quarantine. This is a mandatory isolation while testing occurred and medication was administered by Preserve’s Animal Care team to ensure her eventual integration to the collection of goats would not pose any risks. Of course, the ice queen of the North, passed with flying crystals . . . er., colours!

In mid January Elsa was brought to her temporary, small rocky mountain habitat as she got bigger, before joining the big leagues, on the big mountain cliff at the Preserve. She was a delight and distraction for staff at the office where she would be spotted through windows being a goat – bounding around, climbing the rocks and being unbelievably cute!  

Social media link to the posting by NLWS about Elsa's arrival.

April 9th, 2024 Elsa joined the group of mountain goats at the Preserve and can be spotted living her best goat life thanks to people, community, collaboration and their great care of iconic North American wildlife in need of second chances.

Elsa the mountain goat with the nanny group.

Elsa, the mountain goat lives at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve which is the Traditional Territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

Elsa the mountain goat introduced to the nanny group. B.Forsythe

Photo credits: Northern Lights Wildlife Society, YFNED – Yukon First Nations Education Directorate, L.Caskenette, B.Forsythe.

Lindsay Caskenette

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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Crane Gets A Flight South

Crane Gets A Flight South

Crane Gets A Flight South

4 minute read – 

Back in early November, a sandhill crane came into the Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre with a number of wounds, including a laceration to its eyelid. We are pleased to say that it has been successfully released! But when a bird like this misses the migration, how exactly do you release it?

mature bald eagle in rehabilitation

Photo credit: Neil Tracey

With the help of the amazing folks at Air North, Yukon’s Airline and George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary we were able to transport the crane all the way from Whitehorse to its new winter home outside of Vancouver.

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a federal Migratory Birds Sanctuary located in Delta, British Columbia (about an hour from downtown Vancouver). It has a small population of sandhill cranes that overwinter there, which we hoped would help this newly released bird transition back to the wild. We were a little nervous, as sandhill cranes can be quite unaccepting to newcomers, but in this case things went very well!

• • •

6:00am

Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s veterinarian, Dr. Maria Hallock, collects the crane from the rehabilitation centre. It will ride to Vancouver in a large dog kennel, specially equipped with barriers to limit visibility and help the crane stay calm on the long journey.

6:45am

The crane arrives at Air North Cargo at Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport. Checking in a crane is more complicated than checking in a human. Permits and paperwork is processed and the kennel is given a final check to ensure it is secure.

7:30am

Neil checks in for the flight. Neil is the Manager of Programming and Education at Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Before moving to Whitehorse, he worked in wildlife rehabilitation in British Columbia. He was originally going on vacation to visit family; he added a crane release to his itinerary.

8:45am

Air North flight 521 departs for Vancouver. The weather is surprisingly good, and the flight is very smooth.

12:00pm

Air North flight 521 arrives in Vancouver.

12:30pm

Neil and the crane depart for the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, British Columbia.

1:00pm

Kathleen Fry, Sanctuary Manager, meets the bird. She is a big fan of cranes. It shows. She escorts the crane and Neil to the release site, a beautiful lagoon between a set of dykes.

mature bald eagle in rehabilitation

Photo credit: Neil Tracey

1:01pm

The bird makes a break for it! While the team at the Sanctuary had set up a small fenced area to release the bird into – hoping to make the transition to a new environment smoother – the bird almost immediately ducked under the fence and ran off into the reeds.

1:02pm

The crane stops moving and relaxes in the reeds. It blends in extremely well and is challenging to see.

3:00pm

The crane is still in the reeds, relaxing. It has moved a few steps, but is staying in the same protected area.

Normally, when an animal is released back to nature, we do not know exactly what happens next. This time, thanks to updates from the team at Reifel Sanctuary, we can not only tell you what happened next but we also have some amazing photos! Thanks to Kathleen Fry at the Sanctuary for giving us permission to share her photos.

mature bald eagle in rehabilitation

Photo credit: Kathleen Fry – Day 2

Day 2

The crane visited with 15 local resident cranes in the morning before disappearing. This was a huge positive step, as the other cranes did not act aggressively toward the newcomer. In this photo from Kathleen, the rehabilitated crane is clearly identified by his small size and darker colours.

Day 3

The crane is slowly adapting to the wet coastal weather and seems to be keeping his feathers in better condition.

Day 5

Everything looks fine! The newly released crane seems to be hanging around the release area, is staying active, and is interacting appropriately with the other cranes in the area.

Photo credit Kathleen Fry - Day 5 after this crane was rehabilitation in the Yukon, flown South by Air North and released in BC.

Photo credit: Kathleen Fry – Day 5

If you are visiting the Vancouver area, you can reserve a spot to visit the Sanctuary. You might see the rehabilitated crane or some of the songbirds, waterfowl, and other species that call the Sanctuary home!

Wildlife rehabilitation doesn’t take a holiday! If you would like to support future rehabilitation efforts, donations are accepted all year round.

Neil Tracey

Neil Tracey

Manager Education and Programming

Neil is an interpreter and biologist who has worked in wildlife rehabilitation, interpretation, and education. He joined the team in early 2023 from Vancouver. In his spare time he teaches first aid and grows far more plants than he has space for at home.

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Carrots for the Critters

Carrots for the Critters

Carrots for the Critters

This story was originally published December 12, 2020 in the e-blast newsletter to Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s membership.

Are you a member but don’t receive these email Newsletters?  Contact us at info@yukonwildlife.ca to update your email preferences.

Banner photo credit L. Caskenette

This territory is full of incredible people of the north and without a doubt Steve and Bonnie Mackenzie-Grieve are among them!

Steve and Bonnie own and operate the Yukon Grain Farm, not far from the Preserve. They are pillars of the community and work hard to produce and provide local – they also immensely support local.

Every year, the Yukon Grain Farm donates a giant bag of, often brightly coloured but not considered beautiful, vegetables to the Preserve and its critters. This year, 1000lbs or so of carrots came in. While they are bright orange, grown right on the banks of the beautiful Yukon River, the carrots themselves are not deemed beautiful by the human eye. Instead of wasting this bounty the animals will gladly enjoy them, ground into their regular diet, as enrichment over the months to come!

Thank you Yukon Grain Farm for your ongoing support to the north!

Lindsay Caskenette

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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A-Moosing Move

A-Moosing Move

A-Moosing Move

This story was originally published October 24, 2020 in the e-blast newsletter to Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s membership.

Are you a member but don’t receive these email Newsletters?  Contact us at info@yukonwildlife.ca to update your email preferences.

Banner photo credit:  J. Paleczny

Early on Thursday morning (October 22), during those chilly hours before we are open to the public, the Animal Care team successfully moved the little male moose calf; walking from his temporary off-display habitat to the public viewing area near our other 4 moose.

Now you might be wondering how that happens, and safely. The wide roadways, snaking in a figure-8 through the Preserve are not only a means for you to explore the Preserve and its wildlife residents, they’re also the way in which we, using a series of gates and the fencing for each habitat, guide animals from one area to another.

This little male moose will spend time alone in this intermediate habitat (in between the 2 other males in the marsh habitat and the 2 females in the adjacent habitat) before being introduced in with the females.

He’s quite skittish, very cautious of new surroundings and people. While he remains in this secondary, temporary home a stand-off barrier is in place to ensure he feels he has enough space to be comfortable and explore his surroundings while reducing stress as he gets to know you, our visitors.

A trip down Memory Lane:  remember when this moose orphaned in July moved to his temporary off-display habitat?  And here’s the early October pre-A-Moosing Move update thanks to CBC Yukon!

Lindsay Caskenette

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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Bald Eagle:  Right Carpal Infection

Bald Eagle: Right Carpal Infection

Bald Eagle: Right Carpal Infection

This story was originally published October 24, 2020 in the e-blast newsletter to Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s membership.

Are you a member but don’t receive these email Newsletters?  Contact us at info@yukonwildlife.ca to update your email preferences.

Banner Photo:  Dr. Maria Hallock and the Animal Care team weigh the bald eagle upon it’s arrival to Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s Rehabilitation Centre.  Credit:  L. Caskenette
On Tuesday October 20 a bald eagle arrived at our Rehabilitation Centre from Mayo via CO services. It’s common that we do not know the circumstances surrounding an animal’s injury, as is the case with this bald eagle. In cases like this, CO services are the link between animals in the wild, human concerns for their health and welfare, and Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s Rehabilitation Centre. CO Services and YG’s Animal Health Unit will respond and evaluate an appropriate course of action (which may include bringing it to YWP). While the YWP can accept injured wildlife, we do not have a field response team to conduct rescues.
The good news is that while this bald eagle is underweight at 2.6 kg he has a good appetite, is alert and fairly strong. X-rays performed at Yukon Wildlife Preserve show no fractures. The challenge faced by this bald eagle while in our Rehabilitation Centre will be in overcoming and healing an infection in his right carpal joint (that’s a bird’s wrist!), and some other abscesses that have been drained by Dr. Hallock. The eagle will be on antibiotics, and will remain inside to give the team the ability to monitor him closely. Follow up x-rays will be taken in a week to assess how the eagle is progressing and his health plan will be tailored based on the findings. It’s early days on the road to this eagle’s hopeful recovery. The Preserve now has 3 eagles within the Rehabilitation Centre (1 Golden Eagle and 2 Bald Eagles). While this can be abnormal for this time of year, we do know that animals encounter illness and injury year-round. To help keep Yukon Wild at Heart, consider a donation. If you encounter an animal that you feel needs help, be informed. A good first step is to check our website for Wildlife Emergency protocols and contacts.

The following update was originally published January 23, 2021 in the e-blast newsletter to Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s membership.

A Convocation of Eagles

Lindsay Caskenette & Julie Kerr

Lindsay Caskenette & Julie Kerr

Visitor Services Manager and Visitor Services Coordinator

Lindsay and Julie love to share the Preserve the same way they explore life – full on and full of adventure!  They have a collective love of:  Animals....Lindsay dogs, Julie foxes; Adventure.... Lindsay dog mushing, Julie extreme camping;  both take on animal personas during story telling.  Together they support the Preserve with a strong Visitor Services presence and often, they even get work done (this happens most often when the other one is out of the office).

 867-456-7400
 info@yukonwildlife.ca

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